Ford managed to hold onto the third spot in U.S. vehicle sales for the third quarter, narrowly beating South Korean automaker Hyundai, despite a year-over-year sales decline of 6.6%. Ford sold 507,395 light-duty vehicles in the quarter, excluding its heavy-duty trucks, while Hyundai, encompassing the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands, achieved a 5.4% increase with 506,200 vehicles sold. This outcome defied earlier forecasts, including one from Cox Automotive, which had predicted Hyundai would surpass Ford in quarterly sales for the first time.

Despite challenges, Ford maintained a significant lead over Hyundai in the year-to-date sales race, with roughly an 89,700-unit advantage through the third quarter. The overall U.S. sales leader in 2026 remains General Motors, followed by Toyota, which is gaining ground on GM. Ford downplayed the threat from Hyundai, emphasizing that the latter's brands function separately in the U.S. market, even though they share a corporate parent.

Ford's sales struggles have been partly attributed to production issues with its vital F-Series pickup trucks, caused by supplier fires last year that disrupted manufacturing and deliveries. Additionally, the discontinuation of models such as the Ford Escape contributed to the sales decline. However, Ford’s head of U.S. sales, Rob Kaffl, noted that inventory and sales of the F-Series improved during the quarter, which positions the company for a strong fourth quarter, despite F-Series sales dipping just 1.9%, with a sharp drop in the discontinued F-150 Lightning electric pickup.

Electric vehicle sales presented a significant weakness for Ford, showing a 67.5% year-over-year decline through September and an 80% drop in the third quarter. These results come after record EV sales in the previous year, driven by heightened demand before the expiration of federal incentives offering up to $7,500. Meanwhile, Ford’s luxury Lincoln brand also saw an 18% sales decline, highlighting challenges across multiple market segments.